


as long as we're together (we'll be okay)

by ravenreyesx



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Escort!Octavia AU, F/F, Minor Character Death, Octaven, Protective Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 04:18:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14347815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenreyesx/pseuds/ravenreyesx
Summary: If there's something in the world worth fighting for, it's her.





	as long as we're together (we'll be okay)

Raven takes a sip of her coffee before settling the mug down on the table. She watches as people walk in and out of the café, hears the sound of acoustic songs play from the speakers, and she looks down to page twenty-five of her book. It’s been three hours and she’s still stuck on the same page. She stares at the words blankly for a few seconds, before fishing out her phone from her pocket and dials a number she’s grown to memorize. It goes straight to voicemail.

 

“Hey, O, call me back when you can,” she says for the tenth time that day, and then proceeds to dial the only other number she knows by heart. This time, her recipient picks up on the second ring.

 

“Dinner tonight?” Raven deadpans, staring at her cup of coffee, sitting cold and alone on the table.

 

“Yeah, can you pick me from home after six?”

 

Raven hums in approval, and ends the call. She folds the edge of page twenty-five, and tosses the book into her bag, before slinging the strap over her shoulder. She leaves the café with her cup of coffee half-empty.

 

//

 

Clarke scarfs down her food while Raven pokes at the beans on her plate.

 

“Something on your mind?” Clarke says; her mouth half-filled with food.

 

Raven shrugs, and drops her fork and lets it clank against her plate loudly. “Octavia hasn’t called me back today.”

 

Clarke takes the last bite of her food, and chews slowly. “Maybe she’s,” she pauses to swallow her food, “you know, busy.”

 

Raven winces at the word “busy”, and knows that it’s a euphemism for something so much worse.

 

“You want to have a movie night and stay up today?” Clarke suggests, “Maybe O can join us after.”

 

“Yeah, whatever,” Raven stands up and prepares to walk over the cashier, her dinner barely touched.

 

“You’re not eating?” Clarke looks at her incredulously.

 

She shakes her head, but that doesn’t stop Clarke from asking for a take-out.

 

//

 

The movie is boring, and they’re barely halfway through it when Raven reaches across Clarke to retrieve her phone, her fingers angrily pressing numbers. Her first call goes to voicemail, and she’s about to make her second when Clarke snatches the phone from her.

 

“Okayyy, this is not going to work,” she says, and locks the phone despite the glare that Raven shoots her.

 

“I’m not fucking stopping until she picks up,” Raven growls through her gritted teeth.

 

“She’ll come home, okay?” Clarke throws her hands up in the air, “She always does.”

 

Raven swallows, hard. “And that’s the thing, because there’s a first for everything, and what if today’s the day she decides not to come back, what if some dirty bastard forces her not to leave, what if–“

 

“Raven–“

 

“–she’s offered a higher rate tonight and she’s stuck with some fucking old hag who’s too rotten for her and–“

 

“Rae–“

 

“–and maybe she wants to leave but she can’t and her phone is turned off or something and that’s why she’s not answering the calls–“

 

“Raven!”

 

Clarke practically has to holler to stop the other girl from babbling. They’re both breathing heavily now, their chests heaving and their jaws slack.

 

“She’ll come back,” Clarke reassures her after a pregnant silence that follows their argument.

 

“She doesn’t deserve this, Clarke,” Raven says, her voice wavering and about to crack, “She doesn’t deserve any of these.”

 

“But she’s okay. She’s with us, and we’re all still alive and kicking, aren’t we? We will get through this, Rae, we will.”

 

Raven throws her a smile. “I’m glad to have you, Griffin.”

 

Clarke pats her head. “We’ll continue this shit movie another day?”

 

Raven nods, and watches as Clarke detaches herself from the couch and reaches for the remote control to turn off the television.

 

“Want me to wait up with you?”

 

“It’s ‘kay, just join me for lunch tomorrow.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Raven hugs her knees to her chest as she hears the door to Clarke’s room click shut. She eyes the clock on the wall, hears the sound of the second hand ticking at an excruciatingly slow pace, and before she knows it, her eyes flutter close.

 

//

 

Her eyes flutter open when she feels rough, calloused fingers tickling her forehead. Her blurry vision focuses onto an image of long, silky, black hair and turquoise-colored eyes.

 

“O?” she says, barely above a whisper.

 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up,” Octavia says, and Raven catches a whiff of men’s cologne. She sits up so quickly her head spins. She glances at the clock, and it reads 3 a.m.

 

“You didn’t pick up any of my calls,” Raven says dumbly, as Octavia joins her on the couch and takes Raven’s hands into her own.

 

“To be fair, I did call you back, but you were probably already asleep,” Octavia chuckles, but Raven doesn’t detect any form of humor in her words. She checks her phone, and true enough, there’s a missed call from Octavia at 2:30 a.m. She frowns.

 

“How did you get back?”

 

“He called a cab for me, as usual,” she replies casually, and Raven has to stop the urge to make a face.

 

A few minutes passes with the both of them just sitting side by side in quiet, Octavia playing with Raven’s fingers and Raven resting her cheek on Octavia’s shoulder. When Octavia intertwines their hands together, Raven pipes up, her voice soft and laced with uncertainty, “Join me and Clarke for lunch tomorrow?”

 

She feels Octavia’s hands shake under her grip, but her voice remains calm and collected. “Can’t, I’m booked.”

 

“Lunch,” Raven reminds her, “Not dinner.”

 

“Yeah,” Octavia breathes out, “But we’ll be having more of a brunch instead, so maybe I’ll be free after three? Which leaves us a few hours before I leave for dinner? Teatime?”

 

Raven feels something burst within her, her nose is flaring and her ears feel hot. Her grip on Octavia’s hand tightens.

 

“Rae, you’re hurting me,” Octavia says softly, but she doesn’t pull away, until Raven snatches her hand away.

 

“You’re foolish,” she snaps, “and dumb, and fucking stupid, and literally the only person who has zero common sense in this entire fucked up world.”

 

She makes the mistake of glancing at Octavia, because she looks into the pair of green eyes and notices that they’re brimming with tears, and the pouty lips that are now trembling helplessly and it takes everything in Raven not to capture those with her own.

 

She rises to her feet, and Octavia mirrors her actions instantly, reaching for Raven’s hands.

 

“Rae, please don’t do this,” her voice cracks as she pleads.

 

Her heart is hammering against her chest and her head is throbbing in pain when she pulls her arms away, and stomps her way to her room. Her hands are on the doorknob when she halts, but she doesn’t turn around. She clears her throat.

 

“Tea?” she scoffs, “Don’t fucking bother.”

 

And then she turns the doorknob, steps into her room and slams the door behind her with so much force she’s probably woke Clarke up. But she doesn’t have it in her to give a shit about Clarke, or anything else for that matter, because the moment she’s locked her door, her back slams against it and she crashes to the ground, sinking to the floor as everything within her explodes. She cries out loudly, her tears streaming continuously down her cheeks, soaking the collar of her white tee. She grabs the nearest object – her diary – and flings it, hard, across the room, and hears it hit the wall with a loud thud before dropping to the floor. She buries her face in her hands, and sobs and sobs until her throat burns and her voice is hoarse. Her eyes are now heavy and puffy and swollen, her body folded like a paper crane as she stares out of the window, and she stays like that until the crack of dawn.

 

//

 

Clarke orders pizza for lunch, and Raven displays her gratitude by stepping out of her room. She’s greeted with a half-eaten tub of ice cream to which she gladly accepts.

 

“Feeling better?”

Raven blinks, and almost didn’t have the energy to open her eyes. “Still feeling shit.”

 

Clarke shakes her head, and proceeds to get the doorbell. They have their lunch in silence, but this time, Raven does eat.

 

“What time is O coming home today?” Raven asks when she’s on her third slice of pizza.

 

“No idea. Why do you ask?”

 

“Figured she could use an apology,” Raven mumbles, feeling a pang of guilt hit her.

 

“It’s not your fault,” Clarke attempts to assure her, but Raven waves a hand at her.

 

“It is, and you know it.” Raven refuses to let her mind wander, but it does, and the memories come flooding back.

 

“Imagine what life would be like if _that_ didn’t happen.”

 

Clarke sighs, and leaves her slice of pizza on her plate. She grabs both of their mugs, and pushes her chair back.

 

“I’m going to get us more ice.”

 

Raven closes her eyes and lets her mind wander.

 

//

 

_“Holy fucking shit, fake IDs?” Clarke’s eyes immediately light up in excitement, “You’re a freaking genius, Raven Reyes!”_

_Raven smirks, handing out the cards to her two friends. “I get that a lot, but I see no harm in receiving one more compliment.”_

_“You’re insufferable, Rae,” Octavia laughs, and presses a kiss to her cheek. Raven is glad that the streetlights are too dim for the blush on her face to be seen._

_Clarke is still squealing at the top of her lungs when Raven announces, “What are we waiting for? Time to party, girls.”_

_The club is loud, the music is blaring from the speakers and their eardrums are soon to be ruptured, if they haven’t already. Their bodies are pressed so closely against each other that Raven could almost feel their breaths on her. In less than five minutes, Clarke already has her eyes on someone, and declares her departure; yelling something along the lines of, “Meet you guys at the entrance at half past midnight!”_

_Raven and Octavia share a knowing look, before bursting into laughter. They dance clumsily for a while, until Octavia looks past Raven and waves her hand at someone. She taps Raven on the shoulder._

_“That’s one of my brother’s best friends!” she practically screams into Raven’s ear. “’M gonna say hi real quick and be back immediately!”_

_Raven nods and watches as the other girl makes her way through the crowd, the red dress sticking to her body, highlighting her curves and she smiles. Raven thinks it’s wrong to be so in love with her best friend, but it just feels so right. Allowing herself not to think, she shuts her eyes and raises her arms, bouncing along to the beats of the music, deciding that just for tonight, she doesn’t have to care about anything in the world. Little did she know, she was so wrong._

_She feels a hand on her back, and automatically assuming it was Octavia, she swivels around, only to be greeted by the sight of a man looking twice her age, his eyes half-lidded and mouth curved up into a crooked grin._

_“Hey, beautiful, can I get you a drink?”_

_Raven frowns, and attempts to back away, but there’s only so much space for her to move. “Um, no thanks,” she tries._

_“Oh, come on, just one drink,” he insists, stepping closer._

_“I–“ she stutters, “I’m not available.”_

_“Sure you are,” he snakes his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him, “I don’t see anyone with you.”_

_She struggles to break free from his grip, but when he starts dragging her out of the club, she screams, “Octavia!”_

_Her voice drowns in the music, and his grip on her arm tightens as he yanks her away from the crowd. “Octavia! Clarke! Someone, help me!”_

_Her cries for help goes to the drain and he pulls her out of the club._

_She’s crying, screaming, flinging her limbs widely and helplessly as he continues to drag her into a dark, isolated alley. He shoves her up against a wall, ridding her dress up despite her pleas for him to stop. She slaps his shoulder, and although she’s strong, her strength still can’t rival that of a fully-grown man. She kicks his knee, and he growls angrily before slipping his hand into her underwear, plunging his fingers into her. She utters a yelp, and just as he was about to unzip his jeans, Raven hears the sound of glass shattering, and the man falls to the ground, the side of his forehead bleeding profusely. Her eyes travel upwards to see a broken glass of liquor in a pair of trembling hands. And then it drops to the ground and smashes into pieces._

_“Rae, oh my god, Raven, talk to me,” Octavia cups her face, her hands still shaking. Raven sinks to the ground, and she’s no longer crying, but her entire body is trembling so badly Octavia has to cradle her in her arms, hugging her tightly._

_“Raven, I’m so, so sorry,” she hears Octavia say, her voice cracking and she’s probably crying, but her ears are half-blocked and her vision is blurry as she stares at the man, now lying on the floor with a pool of blood around his head. She faintly hears the sound of footsteps, the sound of Octavia’s voice as she calls out to Clarke, the sound of the police siren. Her lips move, and she doesn’t hear herself, but when they stop moving, Octavia is on her feet, and she’s leaning against the wall alone. She stares as Octavia brings a fist down to the side of the man’s face, and blood spills from his mouth. She draws back her arm, and then brings it down again, this time effectively forming bruises on his face. Raven watches as Octavia’s clenched fists collide with the sides of the man’s face again and again and again, until Clarke has her arms around her and is pulling her back, and Raven can only stare as the group of people in uniform arrive to stop Octavia. One of them places a pair of handcuffs on the pair of bloody hands, and Raven can only blink when Octavia gets dragged away, away from her._

 

//

 

Raven is changing a car tire when her phone vibrates in her pocket. Slipping her fingers out of her greasy gloves, she fishes out her phone, swipes at the screen and sandwiches it between her ear and her shoulder.

 

“Rae?” she hears Octavia’s voice on the other line.

 

“Wrong number,” she jokes.

 

“Raven, I–“

 

She notices the slight tremble in Octavia’s voice, and she instantly peels the gloves from both her hands, and one hand flies up to press the phone closer to her ear.

 

“Hey, you okay?”

 

She hears a sniff. “Can you– “

 

The voice cracks, and Raven feels her chest tighten.

 

“Can you just come home?”

 

“Yeah, yeah I can,” Raven scrambles to her feet, tossing her accessories into her toolbox. “Be back in twenty. Is Clarke home?”

 

“N-No.”

 

“Okay,” Raven says, more to assure herself, “I’m driving back now. Just wait for me, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

She ends the call and sends a short text that reads: Hey Sinclair, I’ve got to leave work early due to unforeseen circumstances. Cut my pay, make me work overtime the whole of next week, do whatever but please don’t fire me. Thanks.

 

And then she’s sprinting to her car, driving it at full speed as she lets only one person occupy her mind.

 

//

 

She’s panting when she flings the door open, and immediately spots Octavia on the couch, laying face down.

 

“Hey,” she rushes over, “O, I’m here.”

 

Octavia doesn’t bother turning over, only mumbles against the pillow. “’M sorry, Rae, I overreacted. ‘Twas nothing. ‘M fine.”

 

“What?” Raven couldn’t help the twinge of anger rising within her.

 

“Go back to work,” Octavia grumbles, “Tell your boss I’m sorry.”

 

“Is this some kind of joke?” Raven raises her voice. “Because it’s not funny.”

 

“Sorry, Rae.”

 

Raven spares one last glance at the unmoving pile of body, before she kicks the couch angrily. She misses, and her foot ends up colliding with Octavia’s hip. Still lying faced down on the couch, she lets out a howl of pain.

 

“What the hell,” Raven mutters, and flips the other girl onto her back. Octavia is a mess. Her lips are chapped, her cheek is bruised and there are scratches at the side of her face and at the base of her neck. Raven roughly yanks down Octavia’s shorts, and there are awful marks at the side of her body and on the inside of her thighs. She proceeds to pull Octavia’s shirt over her head, but the girl stops her.

 

“Raven, it’s nothing.”

 

“Nothing?” Raven shouts, “You call these nothing? You’re going to tell me who did these, and I’m going to beat the crap out of them.”

 

Octavia shifts uncomfortably under Raven’s gaze, but keeps mum otherwise.

 

“O?” Raven demands, “Octavia Blake, I want names.”

 

“You know I can’t disclose my customers’ names.”

 

“For fuck’s sake,” Raven hisses, “Can you, for once, just stop giving a fucking damn about this stupid job, and let me take care of you?”

 

Octavia looks away, and Raven huffs in annoyance.

 

“Okay, just for one week. I’m getting my pay either tomorrow or the day after, so, just for one week, can you not go to work?”

 

Octavia smiles at her, broken and vulnerable and powerless. “Help me get some ice for my face? Was too lazy to move earlier.”

 

Raven glares at her, her eyes stinging, her teeth gritted and her clenched fists shaking at her sides. “Don’t do this to me, Octavia Blake.”

 

“Please?” she says, and Raven tries to ignore the fact that her chest feels like it’s being stabbed repeatedly, “They kind of hurt.”

 

Her eyes flutter close as she breathes heavily, and when she opens them, she sees her. All Raven sees is her. She moves slowly, but also with some sort of urgency, and when their lips crash, Raven doesn’t feel sparks, doesn’t see fireworks. Instead, she feels herself drowning, in a deep, vast ocean, and she’s struggling so hard to breathe, but she only sinks deeper and deeper.

 

Raven pulls away first, and Octavia’s eyes are glassy as they stare back at her.

 

“I’m going to get you some ice,” Raven strokes Octavia’s head gently.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. Stay right here.”

She leaves the couch and turns to the kitchen. Only then does she allow her tears to flow.

 

//

 

_“Looks like we’re on our own now,” Clarke says, delivering the last of their boxes to their shared apartment._

_“Oh come on, Clarke. Abby and hubby just wants to spend time together. Besides, she left you a freaking bank account and your favorite adoptive sister!” Raven exclaims from where she is setting up the television._

_“But them just leaving? To another country? That’s almost like not having any parent at all.”_

_“Welcome to the club,” Raven and Octavia say in unison. Clarke rolls her eyes._

_“What about your brother though? Would he mind not living with you?” Raven frowns at Octavia._

_“He’s probably going to share a place with a few friends too,” she shrugs, “No one’s working, remember.”_

_“I found a job, actually,” Clarke announces, and two pairs of eyes widened in her direction. “Just a whatever job. As a freelance artist.”_

_“That’s not whatever, Clarke,” Raven exclaims, “That’s amazing!”_

_“Raven’s right. God, Clarke, I am so happy for you.” Octavia pulls her into a hug._

_“Happy for me or happy that I will be paying for our water and electricity bills for the next few months?”_

_“Both,” the two of them snicker, and Clarke rolls her eyes again, but is unable to hide the grin on her face._

_They’re a few minutes into unpacking when the phone rings, and Raven picks it up._

_“Hey, O, it’s for you,” she says, passing the phone. Octavia cocks an eyebrow and Raven shrugs._

_Clarke is carrying a box into her room and Raven is still working on the television when they both hear a loud gasp. Clarke runs to the living room and exchange glances with Raven before Octavia sinks to her knees, one of her hand flying up to cup her mouth as she breaks into sobs._

_“Hey, what’s wrong?” Raven is at her side within seconds, and Clarke rushes over, peeling the phone from Octavia’s trembling hand as Raven holds her._

_Clarke walks to the kitchen with the phone, and Raven can only hug the other girl tightly, telling her, “It’s going to be okay,” although she has no clue on whatever is going on._

_When Clarke reappears, her expression is solemn and her eyes are red. None of them say anything as they help Octavia to her bed, and they stay by her side until she falls asleep eventually. When they close the door to Octavia’s room, Raven asks, “What happened?”_

_Clarke shakes her head, and chews her lower lip. “It’s Bellamy. He got into a car accident. He’s gone.”_

_Raven blinks. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out of it. She blinks again, and feels her eyes water. Clarke pulls her into a hug._

_“Will we be okay?” Raven croaks._

_Clarke runs her palm up and down Raven’s back, before pulling her closer. “I don’t know, Rae. I don’t know.”_

//

 

Raven really doesn’t feel like hanging out at a bar tonight, but Clarke insists that they take some time to relax, to tear away the frown that’s about to be permanently crafted onto Raven’s face. Raven reluctantly agrees.

 

They sit at a table and lazily slurp their drinks, talking about anything in the world – anything as long as it doesn’t end up with either of them mentioning Octavia’s name. Clarke talks about her new art piece, and Raven talks about her rise in salary. Clarke talks about this sexy, attractive girl she just met at the gym, and Raven talks about Sinclair’s new hairdo. Clarke talks about living in a mansion in the future, and Raven talks about her plan to marry Octavia. And – _holy fuck_ – that was the forbidden topic for the night.

 

“Rae,” Clarke groans, taking a sip of her drink, “You’ve got to stop. She chose to live that way. She’s learnt to accept it and so should you.”

 

Raven frowns. “No, she hates her job.”

 

“No, she doesn’t.”

 

“And how would you know? Are you a fucking escort?” Raven empties her drink in one gulp. “You sit and draw. You don’t kiss old, dirty people and have sex with them. What _is_ an escort anyway? Why bother giving it a nice name when really, you’re just a bloody–“

 

“Okayyy,” Clarke claps her palm over Raven’s mouth, “Now that’s the alcohol doing the talking. How about you sit down and I go pay the bill and we’ll join Octavia at home after?”

 

“Octavia’s at home?” Raven murmurs.

 

“Of course she is. And she’s watching a movie too, your favorite. Can you guess what it is while I go pay for our drinks in the meantime?”

 

Raven nods obediently.

 

“Good. I’ll be right back.”

 

Clarke practically sprints to the counter, and as Raven racks her brain trying to remember the title of her favorite movie, a couple enters the bar and occupies the seat next to theirs. The girl is wearing a short, revealing dress and the man is wearing a sloppy t-shirt and a baggy pair of jeans. Raven doesn’t mean to eavesdrop, but they’re so near and the man’s voice isn’t exactly soft.

 

“Such a slut for me,” he says, his hands gripping the girl’s thighs, “What a good whore.”

 

And Raven feels her entire body burst into flames. Before she knows it, she’s flinging her chair towards their direction, and she hears screams, and a second later, the man is charging at her.

 

“She’s not a slut!” Raven shouts, and feels something hit her across her left cheek, sending her crumbling to the ground.

 

“She’s not a slut! Not a whore!” she continues to cry out, and she feels a kick to her stomach. She sees people running towards them, peeling the man away from her. She thinks it’s Clarke that helps her to her feet, but through her cloudy vision, she’s not quite sure.

 

“She’s not who all of you think she is,” Raven says, to no one in particular, “She’s not a slut. She’s not a whore.”

 

She takes one last look at the girl in the short dress, before everything turns black.

 

//

 

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

 

Raven hears her voice before she sees her face. Her head throbs, her eyes are heavy and she really just feels like puking her guts out.

 

“Clarke told you. Fantastic.”

 

Raven could _feel_ Octavia rolling her eyes even without looking at her.

 

“How’s my face?”

 

“Worst than anything I’ve ever had,” Octavia deadpans. She removes the cloth from Raven’s forehead and soaks it in a bowl of water.

 

“Why did you do that?”

 

Raven forces her eyes open. “Do what?”

 

“You know, pick a fight with that guy.”

 

Raven scans Octavia’s face, and notes that the girl is looking at anywhere else but her. She shrugs. “No reason. Thought I stood a chance at winning.”

 

Octavia scoffs. She prepares to leave the room, when Raven stops her.

 

“O?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Are you working today?”

 

Raven could hear the silence ringing in her ears as she waits for a reply.

 

“Not until midnight,” Octavia whispers, only loud enough for Raven to hear.

 

“Do you want to watch a movie? My favorite?”

 

Octavia’s hands reach for the doorknob, and she turns it, but not before she flashes Raven a smile. This time, it reaches her eyes. “Sure.”

 

//

 

_“I’ve got one housemate covered in paint, and the other covered in grease. Lovely,” Octavia says when Raven arrives home. She laughs at Clarke who is banned from the couch as she sits on the floor, her originally black shirt now an array of colors. When Raven walks over to join Octavia on the couch, she’s stopped with a hand to her face._

_“Nope, no exceptions. Join Clarke on the floor.” This time, it’s Clarke who chortles._

_They watch the television for about an hour, before Octavia starts to be engrossed in her phone._

_“Who’s that? New boyfie? Girlfie?” Clarke interrogates, just for the joy of annoying Raven._

_“No,” Octavia replies calmly. “No boyfie or girlfie, only a job.”_

_“A job?” Raven says, trying not to sound too surprised._

_“Yep. I got a confirmation email from an escort agency. I know it doesn’t sound pretty, but hey, at least your girl with criminal records is able to find a job.”_

_“That’s not funny, O,” Raven snaps._

_“Yeah, I mean, you don’t have to work, O, we’re okay with paying the bills. We’re practically family now,” Clarke adds._

_“But I want to,” Octavia argues, “Sitting around watching television all day is starting to get a little boring, and it’s making me feel useless. I want to do something, whatever it is.”_

_“Is this to get back at me?” Raven glares at her. “You killed someone because of me. So now you’re turning into that someone to make my life a living nightmare, to remind me of that day, when I hated myself more than anyone. Is that it?”_

_“What? Raven, no,” Octavia begs, “It’s not like that, I promise. I won’t say anything to you; you won’t even have to know what my job is like. Just take it that I’m working at a café or something, only that you’ll never get to visit the café. It’s nothing, Rae, it’ll just help us live better and enjoy better food and buy nicer clothing.”_

_Raven shakes her head. “You’re fucking heinous, Octavia Blake. Be an escort or whatever, see if I care.”_

_She heads for the door, and ignores both Clarke and Octavia as they call after her._

//

 

“So,” Clarke says as she munches on a cookie, “What are you doing for O’s birthday?”

 

“Don’t know,” Raven shrugs, “Will she even be free?”

 

“It’s a Saturday,” Clarke says after a hint of hesitation, “So probably not.”

 

“I’ll make her,” Raven announces, feeling a sense of determination she’s never felt before. “I’ll make her free.”

 

“Good,” Clarke swallows the last of her cookie, “Because we’re going on a picnic.”

 

“We are?” Raven questions.

 

“Yes, we are. There will be a picnic mat, a Frisbee, a humongous bag of chips and lots of other junk food.”

Raven’s smile turns into a smirk. “You’re freaking awesome, Griffin.”

 

“Damn right I am, Reyes. Now go tell your girl she’s spending time with the best duo on Earth this Saturday.”

 

//

 

Octavia texts Raven her location today, so when Raven drives her car to pick her at the hotel at midnight, there’s a look of surprise on Octavia’s face that Raven wants to keep forever. The car door flings open.

 

“Wow. So touched. So honored. So surprised to see sweet, loving Raven Reyes here to specially pick me up, even at this ungodly hour when she really should be getting some rest after her long day at work–“

 

“Shut up and get in.”

 

Octavia laughs, and Raven recognizes that laughter as one of the best sounds she’s ever heard.

 

“So,” Octavia says when Raven starts driving, “What’s the special occasion?”

 

“I’m here to ask you out on a date. Well, not exactly a date since Clarke will be there, but you can always think of it as a date with Clarke being a light bulb.”

 

Octavia throws her a bemused expression. “And when is this date happening?”

 

“This coming Saturday.”

 

Raven could see the change in Octavia’s expression from the corner of her eyes.

 

“You know I’m not free on Saturdays,” she says slowly, “I’m booked. Three customers.”

 

Raven resists the urges to slam her fists on the wheel. “Well, this Saturday, you’re going to be booked by us instead.”

 

“Rae, we need the money. I need the money.”

 

“No, you don’t. Clarke and I have sufficient money.”

 

“Sufficient money to survive, Raven, not enjoy. We won’t be able to buy new clothes or dine at a restaurant if I don’t work.”

 

“We don’t have to!” Raven almost shouts. She grabs the collar of her shirt. “Look at this. I have been wearing this for years, O, and it looks good as new.”

 

“That’s a tank top, Rae, you only wear that to sleep.”

 

“But I wouldn’t mind wearing it out either.”

 

“So you’re saying I should just rot at home while the both of you are out working your asses off for a roof over our heads and food on our plates? You’re not hearing yourself, Rae, you’re just saying anything to make me quit my job.”

 

“Exactly! So why can’t you? For me?”

 

“Because having this job is not just for you, Raven, or for Clarke. It’s for me. It’s to remind me that I can still do something, that I’m not useless, and that after killing someone, I can still live my life as a normal person. Don’t you get it, Raven? I can’t expect my life to be easy after someone died in my hands by accident and then having someone I love being taken away from me, again by accident. I want to do something that I choose to do, and not just sit and let things happen. Because if I don’t do anything, accidents happen, and I can’t let any of that happen to me again.”

 

Raven’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, and her lips are sealed shut for the rest of their journey back to the apartment. When they arrive at the parking lot, Octavia immediately yanks the door open the moment Raven parks her car, and the door slams so loudly she jumps in her seat. Raven watches as Octavia treads toward the lift, fingers smashing the button impatiently as she waits. She doesn’t turn back to look at Raven, not even when she restarts the engine and drives away.

 

//

 

She purchases a bag, the huge, ugly ones that boys bring to the army, and then makes her way to the nearest ATM that she knows is open for 24 hours. Raven has never had that much cash in her hands, as she hauls the bag, now full and stuffed, and dumps it in the trunk of her car. She drives back home, and receives a text from Clarke that reads: Where are you? Why are you not with Octavia? Anyway, I have to deliver a painting because I forgot to post it in the mail the other day. Be back around 1. You better be home by then.

 

Raven briefly replies an “Okay,” and drags the bag with her all the way to their apartment. She unlocks the door and notices that the house is quiet, until she sees Octavia appear with a towel around her neck, droplets of water from her wet hair dripping onto the floor.

 

“What is that?” she frowns at the bag in Raven’s hands.

 

Raven lifts the bag and places it on the couch, unzipping it to reveal stacks of cash. “Enough to book you for Saturday?”

 

Octavia narrows her eyes. “Fuck you.”

 

She turns to walk away, but Raven places a firming grasp on her wrist.

 

“Is it enough or not? I’ll pay you double, triple, _hell,_ I’ll even empty my bank account for one full day with you.”

 

Octavia glares at her, and slaps her hand away. “Fuck off, Raven. It doesn’t work like a fucking auction.”

 

She takes long, quick strides to her room, but Raven is faster, and she’s at her door before Octavia can even reach for the doorknob. She stretches out an arm.

 

“Why is it so hard for us to pretend that we are what we used to be, just for one day?” Raven exclaims.

 

Octavia sighs, loud and long and obviously tired of this conversation. “Because we aren’t. What’s done is done, Raven. We need to live with whatever we’ve done, and I choose to live this way.”

 

“Oh yeah?” Raven challenges, “Then treat me as one of your customers. I’m booking you this Saturday, for an entire day, so tell me how much you’re worth.”

 

Octavia’s lips tremble as she speaks. “I’m not doing this with you, Rae.”

 

“But I am with you. So like it or not, Octavia Blake, you’re spending this Saturday with me. But, how it’s going to be like, is entirely up to you.”

 

Raven thinks for a moment that Octavia is going to beat the crap out of her once and for all. She’s being thrown this unreadable glare, and Raven is never unable to read Octavia. She swallows, and braces herself for a kick to her leg, a punch to her shoulder, or even a slap to her face. What she doesn’t expect is Octavia clasping her hands around her ears, pulling her so close that their noses are touching.

 

“Raven Reyes, have I ever mentioned that you’re an insufferable, persistent pain in the ass?”

 

Before Raven could even open her mouth to argue, Octavia has her lips pressed against hers. Raven shuts her eyes when she feels her back hit the wall. The last time they kissed, it was sad, powerless and empty. This time, it’s hungry, desperate and fiery, and when Octavia slips her tongue into Raven’s mouth, she lets out a sound – eager and raw. It’s not the first time they’ve kissed, but it’s the first time it lasts so long. Usually, one of them will pull away, not because it was weird or awkward or anything like that, but just because. This time, Raven lets herself melt into the kiss, allows herself to give everything up when she feels tongue on the base of her neck, licking a trail upwards. She lifts Octavia’s chin, prompting the other girl to glance up at her.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Yeah, just– “ Raven draws a deep breath. She wants more. She _needs_ more. “Just kiss me.”

 

Octavia smiles at her, and Raven just wants to stare at that face forever. Just as she leans her head forward, there’s a familiar sound of the jangling of keys, and they both jerk away from each other. Raven blinks once in Octavia’s direction, before scrambling to the living room. She makes it in time to see Clarke closing the door behind her.

 

“H-Hey,” she says shakily.

 

“Hey,” Clarke raises an eyebrow at her, and then points at the bag filled with cash that Raven has completely allowed to slip her mind. “What’s that?”

 

“Uh, emergency stash,” she scratches the back of her ear. Clarke rolls her eyes.

 

“Guess not. I’ll deposit it in the bank tomorrow,” Raven smiles sheepishly, rushing over to zip the bag. Once she hears the bathroom door lock, Raven walks back to the hallway, only to find Octavia’s door closed as well. She considers for a moment to knock at the door, but then decides not to. And when her fingers ghosts over her lips, she mentally throws Clarke all the curse words in her dictionary.

 

//

 

It’s the last working day of the week, and Raven hums to the melody of her favorite song as she finishes repairing her last car of the day. Placing all her items into their rightful places, she hugs Sinclair goodbye, and makes her way to her car when her phone lights up with a notification – a text from Octavia. It reads: So, what time do I have to get ready by and what do I wear tomorrow?

 

Raven’s eyes widened. She reads the message twice, thrice, and when she’s sure it’s not a dream after pinching herself, she sends a quick text back before throwing her arms up in the air, cheering. She’s pretty sure her colleagues have heard her, but as she gets into the driver’s seat and flings her phone to the back of the car, she couldn’t care less. She starts the engine with another scream, and blasts her favorite music on the way back home.

 

//

 

They’re on their third bag of chips when Clarke rises to her feet abruptly, waving the pink Frisbee she brought with her.

 

“Time to lose some of those calories, losers. Who’s on for some exercise?”

 

Octavia squeals in excitement, and Raven can only shake her head with a grin on her face as she waves at the other two girls. Raven continues to munch on the chips as the Frisbee flies over Octavia’s head, and she chokes on her saliva while laughing at Clarke when she trips and face palms the sand. A few minutes later, Octavia is spinning the Frisbee in her hand as she walks over to join Raven on the mat.

 

“Where’s Clarke off to?” Raven reaches over to tuck a strand of hair behind Octavia’s ear.

 

“She needed to pee. Said something about over-hydrating herself.”

 

“Clarke is bullshit.”

 

“That’s mean,” Octavia jabs a finger at Raven’s nose, and then pressing a kiss onto it when Raven scowls playfully.

 

“So, how’s your day coming along?” Raven tosses a bottle of water over.

 

“It’s perfect,” Octavia beams, “Thank you.”

 

“To be fair, this was Clarke’s idea,” Raven says after taking a sip from the bottle, “I’d hate to give her credit, but she’s pretty amazing.”

 

“So are you.”

 

Raven turns to her side to see the other girl staring at her, her eyes sparkling and her lips curved into a wide, irresistible smile. Raven gives in to all temptations and moves to straddle Octavia’s hips, pushing her down so that she has her head on the mat, before placing her palms on both sides of her head. Raven takes one last look at the face under her before she leans in, feeling the soft, familiar pair of lips on hers, and honestly, Raven knows she’ll never get tired of kissing those lips. Octavia tastes of strawberry, and Raven lets herself indulge in the flavor. Suddenly, she feels a hand on her shoulder pushing her backwards, and her eyes open to see Octavia breaking into fits of giggles.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing. What if Clarke sees us like this?”

 

“And do I look like I give a damn about what Clarke thinks?” Raven pecks the side of Octavia’s mouth.

 

“If she gets jealous, do I get to kiss her?”

 

“What? You kissing Clarke?” Raven has to close her eyes and count to three so as to erase the scarring image on her mind. When she opens them, Octavia is on her feet, jogging away.

 

“Clarke!” she hollers, and Raven sprints after her.

 

“Don’t you dare!”

 

Clarke, originally strolling towards their direction, halts and stands rooted to her position. “What’s going on?”

 

“Run, Clarke! Run!” Raven shouts at the top of her lungs before Octavia throws herself at the other girl. It’s too late. Clarke falls onto a pile of sand, again, with Octavia on top of her. Raven trips, and ends up sandwiching Octavia between herself and Clarke.

 

A giggle erupts from Octavia’s mouth, and then Clarke starts laughing. Raven finds herself chuckling too, and then the three of them break into a guffaw, ignoring the stares and glares from the other people on the beach. And when Octavia wraps her arms around her head and pulls her in for a chaste kiss, resulting in Clarke snorting loudly, Raven feels young and free again.

 

//

 

The sun is setting, and their mat is filled with empty bags of chips and all sorts of rubbish. Raven finds herself in between Clarke and Octavia, and all of them have their legs drawn up to their chests as they watch the orange hue disappear in the horizon.

 

“So,” Octavia says when the sky starts to darken, “Where do we see ourselves in ten years?”

 

Clarke drums her fingers against her legs. “I see myself as no longer single.” Octavia wiggles her eyebrows, and Raven lets out a whoop. “And I’ll have triple the number of clients I currently do have right now.”

 

“Ambitious, Griffin,” Raven smirks, “I’m proud of you.”

 

Clarke exaggerates a hair-flip, and then pokes Raven’s cheek. “What about you, Reyes?”

 

“I’ll have five cars,” she says proudly, “And we’ll live in a bigger apartment, maybe with a pool and a gym.”

 

“Wait, we’re still living together?”

 

“Of course we are, Griffin.”

 

“So you’ll pay for our bills?” Octavia jokes.

 

Raven smiles at her, and keeping her gaze fixed, she says, “And I’ll make this one my wife.”

 

She watches as the smile from Octavia’s face fades away, and her eyes dart elsewhere, before they’re on Raven’s again. The pair of turquoise eyes is glistening in the dark, and it takes everything in Raven to keep herself still. She hears Clarke clear her throat.

 

“For me,” Octavia looks away, “I’ll earn enough money, and then find a new job, maybe at a café this time for real. And then, I’ll probably get a tattoo. And with every birthday I celebrate, the both of you will be there.”

 

Clarke wipes a tear from her cheek, and then stretches both her arms out.

 

“One big hug to wish that our dreams come true?”

 

And when Raven feels two pairs of arms around her, she knows there’s no place she’d rather be.

 

//

 

Clarke dives right onto her bed the moment the three of them arrive home, and by the time Raven and Octavia remove their shoes, she’s already snoring loudly.

 

“Clarke is gross,” Raven says as the eyes the unmoving body, arms spread out and legs dangling at the edge of the bed. Sand is everywhere, on the floor, at the bottom of Clarke’s feet and in her hair. This time, Octavia nods in agreement.

 

Raven insists that Octavia shower first, scrunching her nose in disgust at the sight of the sweat stain on her shirt after their Frisbee session. When Raven leaves the bathroom smelling all fresh and clean, she finds Octavia in her room and on her bed, and she shoots her a quizzical look.

 

“You wouldn’t mind if I sleep here tonight, would you?”

 

The pair of rosy cheeks is too adorable for Raven to handle. She closes the door behind her, and joins Octavia on the bed.

 

“And what’s the occasion?”

 

Octavia shrugs, scooting further to the wall so as to make space for Raven, who pulls the duvet over their legs. She wraps her arms around Octavia’s waist and presses a kiss to her neck.

 

“Did you mean it when you said you were going to quit the job in ten year’s time?” she whispers sleepily.

 

Octavia hums in response. “Doesn’t have to be ten years. Maybe just seven, or even five. Depends.”

 

“On what?”

 

“Money. Availability on other jobs.”

 

Raven smiles. Ten years. She could wait. Her eyelids are heavy when Octavia asks, “Did you mean it when you said you were going to make me your wife?”

 

When Raven doesn’t reply, Octavia turns so that she’s facing the other girl, who has her eyes closed and the corners of her lips curved upwards.

 

“Rae?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Are you really going to marry me?”

 

Raven struggles to crack open her eyelids, but when she does, she’s looking at the one face she knows will be etched on her memory forever.

 

“There’s no one more important to me than you are.”

 

Octavia presses a kiss to the area between her eyes, and her eyelids flutter close upon the contact. She uses all the strength left within her to pull the other girl closer, feeling warmth, comfort and love.

 

“Goodnight, Rae,” she hears, the voice melodious and soothing.

 

“Goodnight, O.”

 

//

 

When Raven opens her eyes the next day, she’s greeted with the sight of Octavia’s body pressed against hers, her head nestled in the crook of Raven’s neck and her long, black hair splayed on her back. Raven lazily combs her fingers through the long, black hair, and observes as the girl shivers slightly. When Raven presses a kiss to Octavia’s forehead, she feels her stir underneath, before cracking one eyelid open.

 

“Mornin’,” she mumbles adorably, and Raven beams at her.

 

“Morning, angel.”

 

Octavia shifts closer to Raven until there’s no gap left to close, and lets both her eyelids flutter close as she whispers against Raven’s neck, “I love you.”

 

Raven hugs her tightly. “I love you, too.”

 

And there’s this unexplainable warmth spreading through Raven’s body, something she has never felt in a long time now. And when the light seeps through the space between the curtains, making the body in Raven’s arm bathe in the morning sun, she thinks that maybe they still stand a chance at being happy after all. Maybe, the bad parts will all be over soon, and that the good parts are about to come. Maybe, for the first time in what feels like an eternity, they will be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> So stoked to finally share my first ever written piece! To those who took their time to read this and made it to the end, thank you so much, I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Do leave comments on what you liked or what you didn't so that I know where to improve. Once again, lots of love to everyone who read this.


End file.
